Sophia
Sophia was the 5th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 12,561 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 2012 (22,336). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2 places. More babies were named Sophia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning wisdom · Ancient Greek
Say it soh-FEE-uh /soʊˈfiə/
- Rank in 2025
- #5 girls, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 12,561girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201222,336 babies
- Total since 1880
- 439,619babies recorded
What does the name Sophia mean?
Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom. Early Christians used it especially for holy or divine wisdom. Its spread owed much to an early martyr, Saint Sophia, and to many royal and noble bearers across Europe. DMNES notes that it is sometimes wrongly linked with the Arabic name Safiya, which is unrelated.
σοφία (Ancient Greek, “wisdom”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: Linked with Arabic Safiya.
See also: Greek names, names that mean wisdom.
Nicknames for Sophia
The usual nicknames for Sophia are Sophie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Sophia in the last five years, 29 were named Sophie, against 23 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophie | Traditional | #55 | 18,014 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Sophias go by each one.
Sophia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 511 since 1917, 11 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5 | 12,561 |
| 2020 | #4 | 13,105 |
| 2010 | #2 | 20,656 |
| 2000 | #42 | 6,564 |
| 1990 | #251 | 1,124 |
| 1980 | #366 | 641 |
| 1970 | #402 | 582 |
| 1960 | #623 | 261 |
| 1950 | #849 | 109 |
| 1940 | #680 | 105 |
| 1930 | #554 | 152 |
| 1920 | #279 | 545 |
| 1910 | #237 | 271 |
| 1900 | #197 | 259 |
| 1890 | #144 | 245 |
| 1880 | #118 | 138 |
How popular is Sophia, counting every spelling?
Sophia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5 for Sophia on its own. Together these spellings went to 20,822 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia | 12,561 | #5 | 61,653 |
| Sofia | 8,252 | #9 | 38,298 |
| Sofiia | 9 | #10,806 | 30 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Sophia?
12,561 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sophia (3.48 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sophia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 16. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.5 children named Sophia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sophia?
About 417,600 people born in the US named Sophia are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 9 and 20. That makes Sophia mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Sophia by state
How common Sophia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.5×), Rhode Island (2.3×), Wyoming (2.3×), Vermont (2.1×), District of Columbia (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sophia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sophia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sophia · Sibling names for Sophia
Questions about the name Sophia
What does Sophia mean?
Sophia means “wisdom” (Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sophia?
Sophia was the 5th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 12,561 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 2012 (22,336). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2 places. More babies were named Sophia in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Sophia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sophia in the US.
Where is Sophia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sophia was most common in Delaware (18.86 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and Wyoming.